Improvement in air-engines



2 SheetsSheet 1.

Patented Jan. 17, 1871.

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A; K. RIDER. AIR ENGINE. No. 111,088,

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. K. RIDER.

AIR ENGINE.

Patented Jan. 17 18171.

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.ALEXANDER K. RIDER, or new YORK, N. Y.-, .ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, con.-

NELIUS H. DELAM'ATER, AND GEORGE REYNOLDS, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 111,088, dated January 17, 1871..

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-ENGINES.

Tacit-whom it may concern; Be it known that I, Annxaxnnu K. ltinnu, of the 'city'au'd county of New York, in the State. of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Air-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

' My invention employs a changing piston, by the aid ofwhich, in connection with asuitable working-piston,

and valves, and passages, the cold air is received and compressed in the same cylinder which is employed to work oftthe heated and expanded air.

This mode of operation has been long known, and involves marked advantages, among which is the reduet-ion of the cost of the engine from that required when two cyliiders', one serving as a pump and the other as a workin'g-cylimler, .are employed, and an increased degree of coolness, and durability, and facility for lubrication of'the' parts.

. A portion of my invention relates to certain novel means of producing a proper motion of the changingpiston or shifter. -Anotherporti'onrelates to the con struction of the furnace and of the adjacent parts where the air is heated by a fire maintained outside of'the cylinder and its connected passages. Another portion relates to device's'for increasing the power by the aid of a cut-off valve, peculiarly arranged and operated to directly and immediately control the admission of the heated air into .the cylinder.

Theaccompanying drawing form a part of this specification. r p Figure l is a central "vertical section through the entire engiue,-showing clearly the novel part, with so much of the ordinary part asis necessary to indicate their relations thereto.

Figure'2 is acorresponding vertical section through the furnace andadjacc'nt parts, with a modified construction, containing only a portion of the invention. 7 Figure 3 is a horizontal sectionon the line S S in ii. 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

B is the cylinder, and r A, a framing fixed thereon; while the power is communicated. I

,E is a piston, which I term, for convenience, the working-piston G, the connecting-rod leading from the working-piston E to the main crmikmin (Z;

M is a piston, which, to avoid confusioml term the shifter orchanging-piston; and M J, two'small parallel rods, which serve as pistonrods to the shifter, and connect it to cross-head, I, traversing in ways or guides in the framing A.

H is a connection, through which the proper motion is communicated to the cross-head I, and thus to I) is the crank upon a main-shaft,1)', to which the changing-piston or shiiter M, from a crank-pin, (2, which is formed in the solid; forging, or is otherwise mounted in the position represented, relatively to the.

otherpart, it being understood that the upper piston should be packed, and that the lower piston or shifter should be titted to work withtolerahletightness without packh-ig; that the lower piston may be hollow and filled with charcoal, or analogous non-coiuluctor; and thatthe most highly heated partsmay be defended by a coating of iii -e-brick or the like and that other ordinary and suitable, devices may be employed at various points to promote the end sought.

The valve N opens downward automatically, to allow the air to be shift-ed from its cool position above the shift-er to t-hcheated space below the shifter.

The lower edge of the cylinder B is provided with a deep lip or hanging curtain, B, of a little greater diameter than-itself, and 'a'ea'sting, "1, formedas ropresentcd, encloses this curtain B, bothon the outside and inside. These parts are both permanently fixed atuniform distances apart, so as to. provide a space both outside and inside of the curtain through which the cool air received from above shall he compelled-to traverse at each stroke, and thus he presented for a relatively long period to the heating action of the several surfaces.

The furnace O' is fed through a door, 0', at one side, which, it'will be understood, opens out through a suitable apcrture provided and properly inclosed in the independent castings B' and T.

The hot gases from the furnace, after expending a portion of. their heat against the furnace-crown, where it is very directly appliedto the heatingof the air above, descend aroundn'alls I and pass under the rounded lower edge of the casting T; thence ascenih ing in an annular space outside, they impart "heat to the exterior face of said casting, and ultimately escape through the line (Pleading to a chimneynot rcpresented.

It is an exhaust-valve passage, controlled by an exhaust-valve not represented, worked by eccentrics, or suitable cams, or the like, not represented. Its function, as also those of other parts, not here explained fully, correspond with those of similar parts in the airenginc patented by John Eri'csson-in 1855 and 1858,.

\V is a valve, whichperiornis anirnportant function in controlling the supply of air from the hot-spaces around and in contact with the casting T to the base of the.working-cyliiuler or cylinder proper This valve \V' is worked bya rod, 10, passing out through a striding-box, and actuated by a' cam or other suitable partnpon the engine not representcd. Its function is to hold back the supply of air to the base of the cylindeiynud thus render it practicable to accumulate a considerable pressure of air in the heating chambers while the exhaust-passage R is open.

A little before thechanging piston has descended to its lowest depression, the valve W is liftedor moved from its seat, and the hot air under 'high pressurev is allowed to enter and heat the changing-piston in the last portion of its descent. It continues to flow to'move it back into a cavity, as represented, when not in use. This withdrawal of the valve W takes it out -.of the current of heated air, and keeps it at a. much lower temperature than it would otherwise attain. Its seat is formed in a casting separate from the-main cylinder (see figs. 2 and 3.) It may be accurately turned and faced to adapt it to the correspondingly-finished face or rim of the .valve \V. 4

Theremovable-seat is iudicatedby X, and a screwbolt, which retains it iii-place, is marked 1.

The valve W may be worked horizontally or vertically, or in various inclined and intermediate positions, as convenience maydictateg The cun'ent of intensely-hot gases from the heatingchamber or. furnace is led to the cut-oli'valve through a narrow apertnrgas sl1own,and not-only is .the valve arranged to be drawn back out of the direct impact of this hot current, but the seat X is also, to someex- -te 1'1t,"sim ilarl y protected, The hot gas is not allowed to strike it directly; its position partially protects it from theheat. Some of the npvel features of myinvention may be employed without the others. Thus, for example, a' certain distinctly appreciableadvautage accrues from my arrangement for giving'motion to the shifter,- which may be realized either with the improvements in other parts of the engine or without them.-

r The connecting-rod G, reaching from the crank-pin downward to the main piston, compels a lingering of the main piston on the upper c'euter, or at the top of its stroke, togivea long time, in which cool airmay be drawn through its valves, while the connection H, reaching upward-from the crank-pin d" to the crosshead I connected to the shifter, compels a'lingering of the latter on the lower center. This gives a very' desii'ahle relation of the motions and distances apart of the .two pistons throughout the active revolution, while all the motions are smooth crank motions. This noiseless and very nearly absolutely correct motion obtained in this simple manner is. equally availablewith an outside furnace, as represented, or with a closed fur1iace,iu which the fire should be maintalned under pressure, or with various other modifications, I Iclaim- 1. The connection H, extending upward or away from the cylinder, arranged as represented relatively to the operating parts d d, and to the several connect-ions of theworking-piston E and shifter M, for the purposes set forth. f

2. The cut-01f valve W and seat X, protected from the action of the current of heated=gas, and arranged and operating relatively to the furnace or correspondingly heated portion of the engine, and to the cylinder B and pistons E and M, and their counect-ions, as set forth.

3. The casting B? and casiug'l, constructed and arranged as represented, relatively to the vfurnace 0 cylinder B, pistons E M, and their connections an passages, for the purposes herein set forth.-

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in presence of twosubscribiug witnesses.-

' A. K. RIDER.

Witnesses:

TnoMAs D. Szrnrsos, O.v 0. LIVINGS. 

